


Liminal Space

by loving_desperation



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, College AU, Fluff, M/M, i did my best but this is so bad, literally so tropey oh my god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:46:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8434009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loving_desperation/pseuds/loving_desperation
Summary: liminality (Latin meaning "a threshold"): the transitional period
Hyuk and Taekwoon are friends at college, and one trip to the convenience store really late at night changes that very quickly.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heckyeons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heckyeons/gifts).



> This is just a really, really shitty preamble to "Just a Scratch" because I promise this to Todd (again) back in August and I'm just horrible at writing consistently so...ta-da? Also once again, this was not beta read so I apologize for how shitty it will most likely be.

Exam season was probably Taekwoon’s least favorite time of year. Strangely, it wasn’t because of the impending exams themselves, but because of the sudden increase in bodies that populated the library. Normally the place was scarcely filled and entirely silent. It was the ideal place to tuck away and get work done without a single disturbance. But once exams started approaching, Taekwoon couldn’t even find a corner that was the ideal amount of quiet and unpopulated to actually focus.

This was when he started wandering into town after his classes ended for the day. Sometimes he could find sanctuary at the public library, and other times he just resigned himself to the soft chatter and cozy corner tables at his favorite coffee shop. It wasn’t the library on campus, but it gave Taekwoon enough breathing room to actually get something done.

Of course, staying late to study into the wee hours of morning wasn’t exactly an option at either the public library or the coffee shop. So often times, Taekwoon would find himself sitting outside at the town park with his books spread around him. In a college town, this wasn’t exactly an unusual sight, so most people just left him alone. The only unfortunate part about studying out at the park was that Taekwoon then had to walk all the way back to campus to get to the dorm apartments when he was finished.

And of course his room wasn’t exactly ideal either because he became so easily distracted there. Not to mention that his roommate Wonshik usually had his boyfriend over. Taekwoon loved Jaehwan and really didn’t mind when Wonshik had him over, but when he needed to get work done, Taekwoon just could not be in their room if the two of them were together.

It was one of these occurrences that had Taekwoon trudging home on a chilly spring night through town. It was almost three in the morning and Taekwoon had just remembered that he had skipped dinner. Heaving a weary sigh, he changed course slightly so that he could walk past a nearby convenience store. 

The only reason Taekwoon knew this convenience store existed, was because of Hakyeon. His friend had stopped them here once to get smoothies on their way back from an event in town almost two months ago. Even then, the store hadn’t really been that populated, but being the only one there at three in the morning, the store had an odd feeling about it. Wandering through the aisles, looking for something to snack on, Taekwoon couldn’t help the feeling that there was supposed to be something he had to look out for.

Shaking his head a little, Taekwoon shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets, focusing entirely on the display of snacks in front of him. Maybe if he ignored the sensation, it would go away. But it almost felt like something was perched at his shoulder, breathing down his neck and whispering warnings he couldn’t hear. With a huff, Taekwoon rolled his shoulders and took a step sideways to avoid the invisible presence.

As he continued to stare at the snacks, trying to decide between chips and cookies, Taekwoon jumped when the bell sounded at the door. Cursing himself for being so jumpy, Taekwoon peered over the top of the shelves to see someone else slipping into the store and begin to wander through the aisles as well.

_What’s with this place?_ Taekwoon wondered as he pulled his hand out of his pocket to reach for the bag of chips. The odd feeling hadn’t left, but Taekwoon thought that it had lessened in intensity. Maybe it was due to the presence of another person being here. Wryly, Taekwoon wondered if the presence had gone off to bother the newcomer.

“Ah!” a voice sounded at the end of Taekwoon’s aisle, making him start again as he turned to look at the source. The person who had slipped into the store a few minutes ago was beaming and waving at Taekwoon as he made his way down the aisle.

“Hey there! Fancy running into you here,” the boy bounced to a stop beside Taekwoon. It took Taekwoon a moment to push through the tired haze in his mind to register that this was someone he knew.

“Hyuk,” Taekwoon finally managed to get out. The boy was a couple years younger than Taekwoon, and shared two of Taekwoon’s courses for their major. They had actually crossed paths several times before, inside and outside of class. Oddly enough, they had been paired up for projects more than once, and Hyuk apparently knew Taekwoon’s long-time friend Hongbin rather well. The kid was nice and Taekwoon liked hanging out with him, even if he was a bit much sometimes.

They were classmates, friends even, and Taekwoon realized that the odd feeling of the convenience store had suddenly lifted a bit with Hyuk’s appearance. 

“What are you doing here, hyung?” Hyuk questioned, bouncing on his toes a bit. The younger boy’s cheeks were a bit flushed from the cool air outside, but he seemed otherwise unaffected by either the late hour or the chill. “Were you studying in town again?”

Taekwoon nodded and adjusted his grip on the chips, distantly wondering if he should grab something more substantial considering his lack of dinner. The movement drew Hyuk’s gaze to the chips and he smirked.

“Skipped dinner?” Again Taekwoon only nodded. For some reason, the odd feeling was coming back. Little warning signals going off in his mind, telling him that something wasn’t the way it normally would be in a place like this.

Hyuk pulled Taekwoon suddenly out of his thoughts when he grabbed the bag of chips from Taekwoon’s hand and put them back. Taekwoon opened his mouth to protest, but Hyuk was abruptly tugging Taekwoon towards the little display of to-go meals near the back of the store. The skin of Hyuk’s hand was cold against Taekwoon’s warm hand. The protest died on Taekwoon’s lips as Hyuk beamed over his shoulder at Taekwoon.

“I skipped dinner, too. We should eat something more than just chips, hyung. Especially you since you have so many more exams coming up than I do. Honestly I have no idea how you’re still alive with all the credits you’re trying to jam into a single semester.”

Grunting in response, Taekwoon tried not to stumble as Hyuk stopped them in front of the display. Taekwoon leaned closer to the display, trying to pick something that he might actually feel like eating. There was no shortage of options, and they all looked fairly good if he was being honest.

“What are you thinking about getting?” Hyuk asked, leaning down next to Taekwoon. Their proximity was ridiculously close, and it was only when he felt his hand brush against Hyuk’s leg that Taekwoon realized Hyuk had yet to let go of his hand. The younger hadn’t seemed to notice this fact, and was scanning over the options as he waited for Taekwoon’s response.

“Uhm,” Taekwoon stuttered, feeling flustered as his cheeks heated up. Giving a gentle tug to their interlocked hands, Taekwoon managed to get his hand free so he could open the display and grab a container of ramen.

“Probably this,” the older of the two said softly, eyes glued to the ramen as he straightened up. Sneaking a glance at Hyuk, Taekwoon noticed that the younger boy’s cheeks seemed a bit pink, but Hyuk acted as if nothing odd had just occurred.

“Looks good,” Hyuk mumbled, opening the display and grabbing something else from the little boxes and containers stacked there. Taekwoon watched him, acutely aware of the burdened sensation that something unusual was happening. The store had a certain air about it during the day time, of people bustling about and grabbing things as they traveled from one space to the next, stopping only briefly here. Maybe the emptiness was getting to Taekwoon.

“Hyung?” Hyuk waved a hand in front of Taekwoon’s face, snapping the older out of his daze. “Are you alright? Have you been studying too much?”

Taekwoon shook his head to clear it, trying to ground himself. “Yeah,” he mumbled, feeling something tug at his chest when he looked at Hyuk. “Probably been studying too long.”

“We should buy this and eat soon, then.” Hyuk started to turn and head for the register, but as he moved, Taekwoon felt a surge of confidence to take a risk. The feeling was driven by something he didn’t quite understand and at the moment he didn’t really care. He was just acting on instinct.

“Hyuk,” he said softly, reaching out and taking hold of the younger boy’s hand. Hyuk’s skin seemed to warm up on contact, the boy’s eyes locking immediately on Taekwoon’s. At this point, Taekwoon had no idea what exactly he wanted to do or say. There was an energy pushing him to act, driving him to talk to the boy that had been in his life for months now. They had shared space in class, around campus, and in Taekwoon’s dorm. There was something else charging the space between them now, though. Something that no other space they had shared could provide.

Suddenly Hyuk was moving forward, pulling Taekwoon closer, and he was glad Hyuk had taken the initiative because Taekwoon still felt dazed. But that daze was nothing compared to the burst of pleasure in his chest when Hyuk’s mouth was suddenly against his.

They stood entirely still for a moment with their lips pressed together before Taekwoon reacted, his free hand travelling up to cup the back of Hyuk’s neck. Guiding Hyuk’s movement, Taekwoon angled their mouths so they could deepen the kiss a little more. Everything felt tentative and new, despite the fact that they were so familiar with one another. The store wasn’t meant for this, and it wasn’t anything Taekwoon could have ever predicted would happen to him here. But now, Taekwoon and Hyuk were the only ones present, taking their time in a place meant for rushing, and using the store as more than just a transitional space.

Taekwoon wasn’t sure how long they stood there like that, or when he had closed his eyes, but then Hyuk was pulling back and taking in a deep breath. Taekwoon’s eyes fluttered open when their mouths disconnected, watching as Hyuk opened his eyes lethargically. He stared at Taekwoon with lips slightly swollen and pink, eyes glued to Taekwoon’s face as they both breathed each other’s air. Their separation hadn’t taken them far, as their foreheads were pressed together now.

“Hyung,” Hyuk spoke first, his voice strained and airy as his hand travelled up to tangle in Taekwoon’s short hair. Their meals were forgotten for the moment as Taekwoon managed to meet Hyuk’s gaze.

“Is this okay?” Hyuk whispered softly, his hand stilling against the side of Taekwoon’s head. His thumb brushed back and forth minimally against the skin just behind Taekwoon’s ear.

Taekwoon was momentarily distracted by the feeling of Hyuk’s hand in his hair, but he wondered what the point of asking was after they had already kissed. But he nodded regardless, gently since their foreheads were still pressed together. 

* * *

“You’re so cute hyung,” Hyuk teased lightly, nudging his senior with his elbow. “So cute and tiny, even though you’re older than me.” 

Pursing his lips in mild annoyance, Taekwoon reached over Hyuk’s arm with surprising speed and plucked a chunk of meat from his junior’s ramen. Hyuk protested with a noise of indignation, but Taekwoon had already popped the meat into his mouth and was chewing on it smugly.

“So mean,” Hyuk pouted, leaning dramatically against Taekwoon’s shoulder as he sniffled with pretend cries. “I don’t have much meat left, and you took one. Give me one of yours.”

As Hyuk reached over Taekwoon’s shoulder to grab a piece of meat in retaliation, Taekwoon easily moved his bowl out of Hyuk’s reach. He gave the younger boy a warning look and continued to lean further and further away from Hyuk as he kept stretching for Taekwoon’s food.

“Come on!” Hyuk whined, pushing his weight into Taekwoon’s side as he desperately tried to get to the few pieces of meat left in Taekwoon’s bowl. “You owe me a piece now that you’ve stolen one! Do you want me to starve?”

“You’re not going to starve because I took one piece of meat, Hyuk,” Taekwoon deadpanned, completely unaffected by Hyuk’s pleas and exaggerated puppy dog eyes. He waited until Hyuk finally gave up with a huff and took his weight of Taekwoon before straightening up.

There wasn’t much time for Taekwoon to recover though, as Hyuk swooped in and landed a chaste kiss right on Taekwoon’s lips, effectively stunning his elder. The kiss was quick enough, but Taekwoon could feel the lingering touch of Hyuk’s lips against his. However, the happy daze of the surprise kiss was quickly dashed aside when Taekwoon noticed Hyuk popping a piece of meat into his mouth and much too happily chewing on it.

“Hey!” Taekwoon scolded, lightly whacking Hyuk’s neck with his hand. “That wasn’t fair! I couldn’t defend myself.”

Hyuk laughed and leaned his weight back against the sofa cushions, happily returning to slurping up his ramen noodles and glancing jovially at his hyung as he did. Taekwoon grumbled in defeat and continued eating as well. After their shared kiss in the convenience store, Taekwoon had expected things to be awkward and clumsy between them. But it had been rather the opposite.

Taekwoon had easily invited Hyuk back to his apartment to eat their meals, and they had been amicably talking and eating on the couch in the small living area. Thankfully, Wonshik and Jaehwan had not crashed here for the night, so Taekwoon was free of their prying questions as to who the cute boy was. Of course, they both knew Hyuk already, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t take advantage of an opportunity to tease Taekwoon mercilessly.

Huffing at the thought of endless teasing, Taekwoon finished off his ramen and followed Hyuk – who had finished just before Taekwoon – into the kitchen to dispose of his trash. While he busied himself with washing the utensils in the sink, Hyuk leaned against the counter beside Taekwoon and watched the elder.

“Hey, hyung?” Hyuk asked softly, breaking the silence that had settled between them. Taekwoon glanced over briefly in acknowledgement, still washing some of the dishes that had been left in the sink from earlier in the day.

“Why did you let me kiss you?”

Taekwoon dropped the fork he was washing with a clatter and splash of soap before recovering quickly from the sudden question.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Well…it’s not like we’ve gone on dates before, or really ever talked about being involved with each other. But you…when you grabbed my arm in the store, you looked like you wanted to kiss me, but didn’t know how. So…why did you let me kiss you? Do you like me?”

Taekwoon put the utensil away and turned the water off in the sink with stiff movements. He was still trying to figure everything out for himself. The moment they had left the store, the odd feeling that had been hanging over Taekwoon had vanished. It was almost like it was only present long enough for Taekwoon to act on emotions he hadn’t even realized he was harboring for his junior. But glancing at Hyuk’s expectant face, he knew that if he tried to explain it like that, it would just sound crazy.

“Well…I don’t know. Maybe the sleep deprivation was enough to make me realize that…after spending all these months with you around me all the time, I really liked your company. More than just a friend, I mean. And…I don’t know, I just sort of…acted on the feeling.” Glancing up at Hyuk’s expression, Taekwoon caught his lower lip between his teeth nervously. “Is that okay with you?”

Hyuk chuckled and leaned over to kiss Taekwoon’s cheek. “Like I said, I was the one to kiss you first. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t forced you into anything or misread the situation. But I’m glad you feel the same way I do.”

Taekwoon nodded quietly and let Hyuk kiss him again, the movement slow and gentle as Hyuk’s warm hands cupped Taekwoon’s cheeks. Warm happiness flooded Taekwoon’s senses as he hummed against Hyuk’s lips. He could have stayed that way for hours, but then Hyuk was pulling back with kiss-swollen lips to grin at Taekwoon. 

“So does this mean we’re boyfriends now?”

“Oh my god, Hyuk.”


End file.
